The campaign to recall Gov. Rick Snyder hit the streets of Ann Arbor today during Art Fair. A steady stream of people visited the booth set up on Liberty Street between Fifth Avenue and Division Street.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

(This story has been updated with comments from Jan BenDor, Washtenaw County captain for the Snyder recall campaign, and County Clerk Larry Kestenbaum.)

The campaign to recall Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder hit the crowded streets of Ann Arbor today for the first day of Art Fair, with an estimated 150 volunteers collecting signatures.

Brit Satchwell, president of the Ann Arbor Education Association and one of the organizers of the effort, said the goal is to collect 4,000 to 5,000 signatures over four days — and that shouldn't be hard considering 500,000 people are expected to attend the festival.

"Hitting big events is huge," Satchwell said. "So big events like the Art Fair are just giant for us. If we can get the 4,000 to 5,000 signatures in four days, that's a huge step forward for democracy in this state. And we're hitting other events as well."

A steady stream of people visited the "Recall Snyder" booth set up on Liberty Street between Fifth Avenue and Division Street today. The booth will be there through Saturday.

Volunteers also are collecting signatures at several other stationary signing locations, including shuttle locations, Pioneer High School and the University of Michigan Diag.

Anthony Byk, a retired Detroit Public Schools principal, stopped at the mobile "Democracy Machine" and signed his name to the Snyder recall petition today.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Many others are walking the streets wearing "Recall Gov. Snyder" T-shirts. They've come from other parts of Michigan to help Washtenaw County petitioners pull off the signature drive.

Many who signed the petitions today cited concerns over cuts to education in Michigan. Many retirees also expressed strong dislike for the raising of taxes on their pensions.

That was the case for Eliseo Luna, a retiree who lives on the southwest side of Detroit. He spoke with AnnArbor.com after signing the recall petition.

"I signed it because he promised a lot to the people and, like Obama, he lied and we want him out," Luna said. "I'm getting my pension and he's threatening to take money away from me that I earned. We all worked for (our pensions) and we don't need this kind of abuse."

More on the fair

Sam Berka, a retired county and state government employee from Sanilac County, also signed the recall petition today, but not because he's opposed to Republican policies.

"He's not conservative enough," Berka said of Snyder, adding he's not happy with the new pension tax and he's thinking of switching his residency to Florida because of it.

"He went in my back pocket," Berka said. "That's the reason I signed the petition. Right now I'm paying no tax and I'm going to pay a couple thousand bucks."

The statewide recall effort — as well as a separate petition drive to repeal Michigan's emergency manager law — is picking up momentum, Satchwell said. Volunteers are collecting signatures for both petitions during the Art Fair.

Satchwell said it's hard to do a count on signatures collected so far, but he's heard anecdotally that the recall is "over halfway there."

The group needs to collect more than 800,000 valid signatures by Aug. 5 to put the question of recalling Snyder to voters in November. Knowing that a good number of signatures likely will be ruled invalid, the group is shooting for 1.1 million to be safe.

By law, the signatures have to be collected within a 90-day window.

"That's a big number and the window's coming up," Satchwell said. "If they don't get the million they can keep going, but the petitions they got at the beginning start falling off."

Satchwell said putting the repeal of the emergency manager law to a vote of the people will take 162,000 signatures and the group is shooting for 250,000. He said that should be no problem since the group is working toward a November 2012 vote on that issue.

"That's a slam dunk," he said. "We'll have that done at the end of the this month or the middle of August, no problem."

More volunteers will be collecting signatures at the Manchester Chicken Broil on Thursday, where about 12,000 people are expected to flock for chicken dinners.

Sara Wurfel, a spokeswoman for the governor, commented on the recall effort hitting the Art Fair, saying "Ann Arbor wouldn’t be Ann Arbor without some kind of effort like this." She said Snyder stands behind his decisions to reform state government.

"With our high unemployment rate, budget deficit and the only state in the union to lose population in the last decade, the governor knew full well the path ahead wasn’t going to be easy or popular," she said. "He remains fully committed to making the tough decisions that ensure Michigan turns the corner and sees brighter, stronger days for all."

Michael Rains, left, was out collecting signatures today with a mobile cart he calls the "Democracy Machine."

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Michael Rains of Ann Arbor was out collecting signatures today with a mobile cart he calls the "Democracy Machine." He said he's taken it all across the state and has collected more than 2,000 signatures for both the recall effort and the emergency manager repeal petition.

"It's a full-service democracy cart," he said. "It serves the entire state of Michigan faster than fast food. People who are upset about the corporate takeover of Michigan government, whatever they need, I'm there for them. And wherever I go, it's been nonstop lines."

Susan Washabaugh, a teacher at Ann Arbor's Pioneer High School, was another of the many volunteers walking the streets and collecting signatures today.

"I'm upset over the cuts to education. It's directly impacting my students," she said, adding she's also concerned that teachers' salaries and pensions are being reduced.

"I think the stress on the middle class by what he's doing is huge and you're going to see more people defaulting on their mortgages and not able to make ends meet," she said.

The Washtenaw County Republican Party has a booth set up not far from the Snyder recall booth. David Parker, the party's deputy treasurer, was manning it today.

"I think the recall is just sour grapes and it's really a long shot," he said, adding Snyder's policies already are creating private sector jobs in Michigan.

"I think he's doing a good job overall," he said. "We're going to try to hopefully spur him to do some more. He's a moderate. That bothers liberals, but that also bothers conservatives."

"We need rich people," he said. "We need jobs, and people with money are the ones that have jobs, that can set up a business. You can't have the government pay for everything."

Jan BenDor, Washtenaw County captain for the Snyder recall campaign, said if the push to get 1.1 million signatures by Aug. 5 is unsuccessful, she's confident enough signatures still could be collected in the following weeks to put the issue on the ballot in February instead.

Once a recall petition is certified in Michigan, supporters have 180 days to turn in the required number of signatures. But no signature can be more than 90 days old at the date the petitions are turned in, so the 90-day window is a moving target. The Snyder recall petition was approved April 29 by the Washtenaw County Election Commission.

"The biggest challenge right now is the verification center, because they're getting truckloads of petitions," BenDor said. "And you not only have to look at the face validity of the petition and the signatures, but then you have to do spot checking of the registration of the voters, so they've got a huge operation going on right now in Standish."

So what happens if the recall is successful?

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, a self-proclaimed conservative Republican, would step in as governor until a new election for governor could be held. As of 2005, elections in Michigan can be held on four dates — in February, May, August and November.

"What a recall does is it essentially calls another election, and either the incumbent is re-elected to the position or someone else is," said County Clerk Larry Kestenbaum.

However, Kestenbaum said he thinks waiting until the next scheduled election, which is the law now, goes against the spirit of the original recall statute.

"The combination of these two policies is a little awkward. Ideally you want the election to happen right away if possible," he said. "I would go back to the original notion of achieving that huge signature requirement is enough to justify having a special election."

Comments

This recall effort is just another way for the liberals to waste their time. Face it, you won't get Robin Hood into office no matter how hard you click your heels together.

Fire Rick

Mon, Jul 25, 2011 : 3:29 a.m.

@ InsideTheHall
I'm not sure how you're drawing your conclusions, but let me offer some clarification. There were over 150+ volunteers who came from all over southeastern Michigan to gather signatures. There were teachers, UAW members, custodians, University lecturers, secretaries, retirees, parents, college students and a wide variety of people representing all walks of life.
You conclude, &quot;Few people actually signed the petitions and 95% of folks walked right past them.&quot; What you fail to acknowledge is that some of the people who walked past the petitions had already signed them. Others were not qualified to sign because they were residents of another state. Many people signed before coming to the Art Fair. Those who signed at the Art Fair would have signed in any one of about 10 stationary signing locations. Unless you had trolls spying on each of the 10 signing locations, then you would have no way of knowing whether those who didn't sign actually signed in another location.
As far as &quot;how folks across the Great Lakes State really feel about Governor Snyder&quot; ... people signed the petitions from almost every single county in Michigan. One gentleman saw this article on AnnArbor.com and came to the Art Fair for no other reason than to sign the petitions. I will not release the total number of signatures collected right now as we're still counting, but I can guarantee you it was in the thousands and by far the most productive signing event in the entire state.

Lac Court Orilles

Sun, Jul 24, 2011 : 12:54 p.m.

Thank you to Brit Satchwell for working so hard to improve democracy in Michigan. Rick Snyder is nothing but an opportunist without a conscience taking money from children, seniors, and the middle class.

InsideTheHall

Sun, Jul 24, 2011 : 11:10 a.m.

The Recall effort has failed and they are no loinger near the 800,000 signatures required.
Having observed the effort for four days the following conclusions can be made:
1. Most of the petitioners were school teachers.
2. Some of the petitioners were UAW members, others affiliated with GLBT organizations.
3. Few people actually signed the petitions and 95% of folks walked right past them.
Come on A2.com make them show you the actual number of signatures they collected during the 4 day art fair. No more fluff lets see the REAL results that will be reflective of how folks across the Great Lakes State really feel about Governor Snyder.
Expect little fanfare or media coverage when the effort peters out come August.

Mike K

Sat, Jul 23, 2011 : 8:41 p.m.

Argh - we are living in hyper partisan times. I appreciate your position, but when you use words like &quot;stealing money&quot; from K - 12, is nothing but inflammatory. I can very well say, factually based, that various governments &quot;steal&quot; in excess of $50,000 from my family in compulsory taxes. Yes, &gt; $50,000. Before you rush to judgement, we are not rich, and we don't have a cabin &quot;up north&quot; on a lake. We are blessed indeed. Our parents stressed education and made a concerted effort to provide us a better chance than they had (none went to college). This was (is) a core belief.
So here we are paying &gt; $50,000 a year in compulsory taxes, and candidly, I'd like to pay less, and save more for my to kids who are enrolled in AAPS. I would like to keep the legecy alive and give my own children a better chance yet, but with the government helping themselves to &gt; $50,000, it gets hard to build that nest egg or save for college. Could only $30,000 be fair?? That would give $20,000 to save, or as Obama has talked about so much, &quot;invest&quot; into my childrens future??
Something has to give. It has become apparent that teachers are decently paid and have excellent benefits, and I for one help pay for it. I'd like to pay them a little less and invest that money in my own children. I needn't invest it through them.
Snyder is doing a great job. The hyper partisan left is upset because it is their turn to give and their unions don't want to. I've given and continue to do so, and we are the middle class.

Aarrrggghh

Sat, Jul 23, 2011 : 7:50 p.m.

Yes, Snyder is doing &quot;something&quot;. He is taking billions from schools, state workers, teachers, and pensioners and giving the money to businesses. He is taking spending power from the people who are most likely to spend and giving it to the people who are most likely to horde. He is stealing money from K-12 schools and raiding the School Aid Fund which does triple damage as it strips schools of necessary funding to help children learn, puts more people on unemployment rolls where government will have to pay them while getting nothing for it, and laid off school employees no longer have an income to help stimulate the Michigan economy. He is taking from the poor &amp; middle classes to give to the rich and that is not &quot;shared sacrifice&quot; by any measure. Breaking a promise that huge is reason enough to recall a governor.

snapshot

Fri, Jul 22, 2011 : 11:20 p.m.

I sincerely hope the recall effort is a success so government can become completely deadlocked in a continous election cycle while the state climbs even further into debt than the 58 BILION dollars in unfunded pension and medical benefits until the money flow just STOPS. Then who you gonna &quot;recall&quot;? Certainly not the person who tried to &quot;fix&quot; the problem.......that would be Snyder.

Tru2Blu76

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 3:53 p.m.

Thanks for giving the location: the $nyder Recall booth is my first stop before beginning my tour of our Art Fair.
As Rob points out: $nyder was the Mystery Prize of the last election and has proven to be another gubernatorial agent for corporate rule of Michigan and the United States. Recalls are a vital tool in these times when the Republican Party openly operates as a hired tool of corporate executives and boards. Better use that tool now because, like other citizen tools, this one will be erased in the name of &quot;a stronger economy and reduced government.&quot; Use it or lose it.
As for the silly statement claiming this recall is a minor phenomenon and not accepted by &quot;more informed&quot; party goers: just put &quot;party goers&quot; and &quot;more informed&quot; together on the Oxymoron List.
Another oxymoron is the one which says that news agencies like AnnArbor.com have no justification for publishing news about citizen efforts like the $nyder Recall. Eh, someone needs to get &quot;more informed&quot; on the role of the news. But I suppose that a self-proclaimed representative of the Neocon Ideology may also be expected to overlook that bit of universal knowledge.

Fire Rick

Sat, Jul 23, 2011 : 11:06 a.m.

@ Diagenes
And let's not forget that those running corporations would not be in those positions without the K-12 education they received early in life. Unfortunately, Snyder has made HUGE cuts to K-12 education in favor of a big tax break for businesses. Our future generations in Michigan will not be prepared to run corporations because they didn't benefit from the world-class education we should have provided them.

Diagenes

Fri, Jul 22, 2011 : 5:38 p.m.

Abraham Lincoln said you can not raise up the employee by tearing down the employer. You seem to have a dislike for corporations. Corporations generate economic activity that supports our society in a number of ways. Gov. Snyder wants to create a pro business climate in Michigan, more power to him.

Bogie

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 3:14 p.m.

It was funny to hear the guy, who said he was going to change his residency to florida. Either he has two homes ( while a lot of people are having trouble keeping one) or he is taking his (probably union) pension to florida, a right to work state. I hated to see the pension tax too, but if you can't make it; sell the Harley, and free up the roadways for us working people. (LOL)
Also, can we start calling these &quot;associations&quot; what they are- public sector unions. Everyone else has been hit by this &quot;great recession,&quot; can't the teachers union take a cut too? One more thing, please don't tell me it's about the children anymore. It is about the pay, bennys, and accountability- nothing else.

Diagenes

Fri, Jul 22, 2011 : 5:28 p.m.

Tru2Blu, Corporate execs answer to the share holders of the company not the tax payers. How much they earn is up to the owners of the company. Unless you want to nationalize all business in AmeriKa. Like GM is.

Tru2Blu76

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.

Taking &quot;It is about pay, bennies and accountability - nothing else.&quot; literally: then I am SURE you mean that to apply to corporate executives who have NO liability or accountability and NO ceiling on the pay and benefits they get???
It's &quot;just possible&quot; you've been misled to focus on the wrong culprits and forgotten or overlooked the principle of proportionality. If you doubt that: go find ONE corporate executive who actually &quot;earns&quot; (provides value in services) their $1000 / hour pay and limitless benefits. Then - go take a few hours talking to teachers and visiting classrooms.

Napoleon

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 2:07 p.m.

We in west michigan,(KENTWOOD,G.R) NEED PETITION TOO REMOVE this governor yesterday.

f4phantomII

Sun, Jul 24, 2011 : 5:06 p.m.

Huh?

Terrin Bell

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 12:56 p.m.

The only problem with a democracy is the uneducated are allowed to vote without even understudying what they are voting for. How anybody making under $200, 000 a year could vote for the typical Republican plan of lowering taxes for the rich thereby increasing the cost for everybody else to make up the reduction the rich have received is baffling. It is like shooting yourself in the foot.
To those of you commenting on the unemployment statistics, keep in mind they are meaningless. They only keep track of those who recieve unemployment benefits from the State. So, if you never qualified for unemployment (e.g. were fired, but your employer successfully contested your benefits) or you couldn't find a job an the benefits expired, you are not counted as unemployed. The ob creation statistics are meaningless as well. A minimum wage job and a professional job are treated the same. The reality is with the closing of Borders, those numbers, especially in our area, are going to shift dramatically. Borders hires thousands in the State.
Snyder deserves to be recalled. Not because he is a Republican but because he talked about shared sacrifice when running for election. Yet, the burden has been shifted entirely to the poor and middle-class (what is left of it). He is operating under the so called trickle down theory of economics, which has proven not to work. Wealth travels upwards unless impeded. In other words when people are working, they spend money that makes its way into the pocket of business owners thereby increasing their wealth. Just because the rich has more money doesn't mean they are going to spend it to create jobs. In fact there is no incentive to do so.
Further, under Snyder's plan a person making under $20, 000 a year is expected to pay $275 more in taxes. A person making over $200, 000 will pay about $75 a year more.

Diagenes

Fri, Jul 22, 2011 : 5:23 p.m.

Terrin, what do business owners do with the money they make? Might they buy a new car or some other item or service? They might even put that money in a bank so it can be lent out to other people in the form of a mortgage or car loan. Capital flows to its most efficient use unless confiscated by government. Then it is at the mercy of politicians.
BTW &quot;trickle down economics&quot; led to 20 years of economic expansion from 1985
to 2007

Basic Bob

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 1:11 p.m.

Fortunately we have union teachers to re-educate us. With a naive and captive audience, I am shocked they aren't doing a better job.

thefoodandwinehedonist

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 12:28 p.m.

Unfortunately it's a staple of politics these days. Whether you agree with what he's doing or not, at the very least he's doing SOMETHING.

SalineSara

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 5:49 a.m.

Well, looks like the MEA hacks, yes the AAPS Union President is a hack) will be out in force. More whining from the public sector sacred cows. Ha, 57% rejected their boy Benero. Imagine what a mess this state would be in if the union puppet had been elected.
Rock on Rick keep doing the work of the people who do the work in this state.

Dr. Rockso

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 1:49 a.m.

The Snyder job creation machine marches on????????
From May to June this year, employment across the state dropped by 26,000, while the number of unemployed people rose by 8,000, the state said.
From The Detroit News: <a href="http://detnews.com/article/20110720/BIZ/107200412/Michigan-jobless-rate-inches-upward-to-10.5-#ixzz1ShTDc9tx" rel='nofollow'>http://detnews.com/article/20110720/BIZ/107200412/Michigan-jobless-rate-inches-upward-to-10.5-#ixzz1ShTDc9tx</a>

David Briegel

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 2:08 a.m.

TeaPublican progress 10 years after the Bush tax cuts were to &quot;fix&quot; things.
If we only give more to those billionaires...........I can feel that trickle.
Yup, it's startin' right about NOW!

stunhsif

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 1:39 a.m.

&quot;Brit Satchwell, president of the Ann Arbor Education Association and one of the organizers of the effort, &quot;
Nice Brit, why are we not suprised that you are leading this ridiculous charge against the man who will turn this state around !
Keep driving your Model T down the dead end dirt road Brit, I'll jump on the super highway to recovery with Mr. Snyder !

Diagenes

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 12:16 a.m.

Mr. Satchwell said &quot; huge step forward for democracy in this state. &quot; We had an election last November and voters choose Rick Snyder to serve as Governor. This is known as the democratic process. Recalling a sitting Governor becasue you do not like his political policies enacted by an elected legislature, sounds more like tyranny of the minority than democracy.
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. - Benjamin Franklin

Basic Bob

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 10:40 a.m.

I'm pretty sure the system we have now is not one man = one vote. The system we have now is, my vote doesn't count. It's a popular system controlled by special interests.
A large number of us are represented by legislators who do not listen to us, only to the union machine or Fox News. Case in point, how many people in Washtenaw believe that the County Commissioners are accountable to the public? I would suspect the answer is less than half. So who elected these people? The various school boards and municipal bodies fall under the same suspicion.

Brit Satchwell

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 5:04 a.m.

With respect, there is no point where we achieve a &quot;final&quot; democracy, call it a day and go home. This petition process is a continuation of the democratic process, and our state and country would suffer if it were not so... checks and balances... ongoing. To be elected is to be held accountable, the very accountability that Gov Snyder would allow appointed emergency mangers to avoid by overturning the rule of one person = one vote at all levels of local government. Both the recall and repeal campaigns are ballot initiatives. To claim to honor democracy while opposing the right of voters to decide when they will decide is to argue against oneself at an angle of 180 degrees. Either it's one person, one vote or it is not... only one of these is democracy.

skfina2

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 3:26 a.m.

Your argument would have more validity if Snyder had not totally misrepresented himself to the voters of this state. If he had run on a campaign of raising taxes on the elderly and the poor, defunding public education, and giving tax breaks to businesses, I'm pretty sure we'd all be listening to Governor Bernero now.

ViSHa

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 11:54 p.m.

This recall effort would sit better if it wasn't in bed with the devil (aaps). Convenient that they can collect signatures at the high school.

Kevin

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 11:48 p.m.

to Rob: &quot;radical right wing positions&quot; Balancing a budget and bringing business back to MI is not radical. Making retirees pay taxes equal to other states on pensions above a certain level is not radical. He is getting things done and quickly and frankly you probably don't scare him with a recall. He doesn't look like he wants to make a career out of being a politician. Change is uncomfortable. About as uncomfortable as the Obama fool in the White House.

Sparty

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 3:06 a.m.

Well where are all these jobs he's going to create or bring to Michigan then? Business taxes have gone down, personal taxes have gone up, and yep, unemployment is UP. That same old trickle down republican that has failed for for than 20 years is still doing it's thing. Clinton raised taxes in a balanced way and made sure corporations and businesses paid their fair share and we had the best economy in decades. Obama has inherited the worst economic mess since the depression and is still trying to make progress despite the abstinence of the party of &quot;no&quot;. This congress has been the least productive ever when we need then to unite to solve the country's problems with compromise and adult behavior.

15crown00

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 11:26 p.m.

even that couldn't get me to go to the Ann Arbor CIRCUS.

Gorc

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 11:23 p.m.

Do you only need to be a registered voter to sign the petition?
Or did you have to vote in the last gubernatorial election in order to be eligible to be counted in the recall numbers?

John B.

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 2:28 a.m.

&quot;Just because it is the law dosen't make it right.&quot;
Funny! You are a riot!

Gorc

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 2:07 a.m.

Just because it is the law dosen't make it right.

David Briegel

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 2:04 a.m.

That's your opinion Gorc. A registered voter is what the law says.

Gorc

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 11:53 p.m.

If you didn't vote in the last election and then you can sign a recall petition...that's fundamentally wrong.

Fire Rick

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 11:28 p.m.

You only need to be a registered voter to have your signature count.

Monica R-W

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 9:32 p.m.

Ryan, thanks so much for this story. First, excellent job covering the recall campaign at the art fair. This article was fair to both sides of the debate (even the Washtenaw County Republican Party had a booth and quote in the piece).
Second, I'm loving the quote from the gentlemen attendee that signed the petition because, as a Republican, he realizes that Snyder's tax increase on Seniors, takes money out of his pocket.
As for Michigan Public Act #4...its' going down. I totally believe that the group RepealPA4.org will have over and above the number of signatures to place a constitutional referendum, for a up or down vote on PA4 on the November ballot. Here is a recent article at our blog, which proves the numbers on Michiganders approving of the PA-4 law, is not in the Governor's favor, at all.
&quot;The poll, conducted by EPIC/MRA surveyed 600 likely voters between July 9-11, found that a 53-34% majority would reject the (Public Act 4) law, that independent voters would reject it by 58-29 percent, and that 60 percent of Northern Michigan voters would overturn it.&quot;
In the same article, Governor Snyder's approval rating, on jumped .1% in the last couple of months to 34% overall.
Personally, Rick Snyder campaigned for office in character as a moderate Republican. After the election, he removed the costume and began to show his true tea bagger characteristics, dressed up in a nice $700 suit &amp; tie.
For this article to come out of Washtenaw County....the same county he lost in the 2010 Governor's Election, which also happens to be home to his gated mansion fort, says plenty.
Many stated Al Gore in 2000, should not have been President (which he was not due to actions of the Supreme Court) because he lost his home state in the Presidential race.
Well, what does this article and actions surrounding the recall, say about Rick Snyder? Just asking!
Monica RW

Bogie

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 3:21 p.m.

tea bag? really? if he was a tea bagger, he would have cut government more, and never would have created a pension tax. why don't you get some info, before you start making ignorant comments like that. or better yet, just move to canada, where you can find the government safety net you so desire.

mmppcc

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 9:04 p.m.

I don't have a lot of hope for the recall effort, but it sure felt good to sign, anyway. Thank you to those who are volunteering in this heat, trying to save the people of this state from the Republican menace.

Gov. Snyder should did run as a moderate. After he was elected and sworn in he was all &quot;JK, ROFL-LOL OMG - totally tricked you!&quot;

Fire Rick

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 8:46 p.m.

@ Macabre Sunset - It sounds like you're suggesting that the recall effort at the Ann Arbor Art Fair isn't newsworthy. On the contrary, this is the single largest signing event to recall the Governor and repeal Public Act 4 in the entire State. With half a million people visiting the Art Fair over the next 4 days and over 150 volunteers coming from all over southeastern Michigan to help, thousands of voters will have an opportunity to sign the petitions they've been looking for. Combine that with the fact that it's occurring in Snyder's hometown, and you've got yourself a juicy piece of political news.
The recall and repeal PA 4 efforts have been largely ignored by the media. As we near the August deadline, many people are still unaware that a recall effort exists. Even more people are unaware that Public Act 4 was passed in March (and what it entails). Thank you, AnnArbor.com, for giving this story the attention it deserves.
@ Stephen Hankamp - One of the reasons why it may have appeared that people at the Townie Party were not signing is because they've already signed!! The citizens of Ann Arbor have been saturated with these petitions for weeks. There were petitioners every single night at Top of the Park and every other major event in Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas.

David Briegel

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 2:02 a.m.

I think AnnArbor.com should do their civic duty and report these crimes to
the proper authorities. TCS should be prosecuted.
Right Roadman?

Monica R-W

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 10:13 p.m.

Thick Candy Shell,
There are others that understand legality, that one can sign ONLY ONE petition for the PA 4 repeal campaign and Recall Gov. Rick Snyder efforts. Don't worry...there are plenty of valid signatures on both of those petitions to eliminate your attempt to rig the process.
Also...like @Fire Rick below pointed out...you just admitted to breaking state law, on the comment section of this story, twice.
My suggestion, hide behind your &quot;Thick Candy Shell&quot; screen name here and stop, while you are ahead. I.P. addresses can be determined based on posting times. Just saying....

Fire Rick

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 10:01 p.m.

@ Think Candy Shell
A person who knowingly signs a recall petition more than once or signs a name other than his or her own is violating the provisions of the Michigan Election Law.

Thick Candy Shell

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 9:53 p.m.

I have signed 7 of the repeal PA 4 petitions also. Keep them coming.

leaguebus

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 8:43 p.m.

Mr Parker, the US now has the largest gap between rich and poor of all the developed nations in the world. The top 25% control three times the wealth of the rest. Yet the rich, through shills like the Republicans still want more and are getting more. They got a $1.8B cut from Snyder, which cost over a 1000 teachers jobs.
So what is he doing? Laying off thousands of well paid people, for a pie in the sky hope that his &quot;business&quot; friends will use their tax breaks and create some new jobs. Tax cuts have never been proven to increase jobs. Just the opposite is true, under Bill Clinton, he raised taxes and created 26M jobs over 8 years. Bush Jr. cut taxes and that cut only created 3M jobs in his 8 years.
This country will be third world in ten years if the Republicans have their way.

Bogie

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 3:26 p.m.

LETS NOT FORGET. NEWT GINGRICH AND THE HOUSE FORCED CLINTON TO ABANDON HIS &quot;SOCIALIZE MEDICINE PLAN,&quot; AND BALANCE THE BUDGET. WITH THE TECH BOOM (I.E. AL GORE'S CREATION OF THE INTERNET) AND THE FORCED BALANCE BUDGET. CLINTON WENT FROM AN AVERAGE PRESIDENT TO GREAT, WITH THE FORCEFUL HELP OF GOP.

InsideTheHall

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 5:59 a.m.

Hey league, how is that Obama stimulus stimulating? Just askin.

Rork Kuick

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 8 p.m.

Parker is so smart: More money for rich people is clearly the way to help the common man.
/sarc

David Briegel

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 8:56 p.m.

So Mike, what is happening to the once proud American middle class now?
Those Bush tax cuts were to have just &quot;trickled down&quot; on all of us.
And you want us to fall for that lie AGAIN? We have seen what trickles down.
You want fries with that Mike?

Mike

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 8:21 p.m.

How many jobs were created or saved by a poor person last year or ever? Even in socialist and marxist countries there are those who live just like the rich in this country. The only difference is everyone else shares the misery equally and there is no middle class. That's not the America I want to see for my kids; where the government opicks the winners.

mojo

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 7:47 p.m.

Maybe even a Tea Party politician can get elected!

Roy Munson

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 7:34 p.m.

The Nerd is too liberal for me, but at least he is an improvement over Granholm. Although taking over for Granholm isn't much different than taking over for Matt Millen.

Sparty

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 7:26 p.m.

He was elected Governor without a full vetting, with unknown policy plans, and without full disclosure of many of his more radical right-wing positions.
I sincerely hope the recall volunteers collect enough signatures to give the citizens of the State the opportunity to provide their opinion of his performance to-date!

SalineSara

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 5:52 a.m.

Kind of like Obama eh? Where do we sign that petition? Obama was not fully vetted and now we are saddled with his extreme radical left wing positions.
Can we get a full airing of Obama's performance in office?

Sparty

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 2:55 a.m.

Are you kidding! With the Presidents historical media vetting, multiple debates, history as president of the Harvard Law Review, Senator of the USA, you claim his positions were unknown? Were you on Mars perhaps for several years?

Oregon39_Michigan7

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 1:23 a.m.

Monica R-W,
President Obama was born in Hawaii, not Kansas. Although, he could have been born at the North Pole, in New Zeland, or Germany, and would still be a &quot;natural born citizen&quot; (therefore eligible to hold the office of President) due to the fact that his mother was an American citizen.

kms

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 12:42 a.m.

Obama was born in Hawaii, not Kansas

Monica R-W

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 9:58 p.m.

Macabre,
Really? Now I am not a Obama fan girl but to say that Barack Obama was not &quot;fully vetted&quot; is a flat out lie. Heck, the America public had access to pictures of his family in Africa. It was a known fact that he was born in Kansas, raised overseas and in Hawaii. That members of his Mother part of the family were in World War II. Even that Obama had a love of hash in during his college days.
There were three or more debates? Obama's voting record back to the Chicago state assembly and up to his former Senate seat vetted and re-vetted. We knew he was a community organizer after leaving his undergrad education.
As for Snyder...no one out of the Superior Township wealth community, CEO's friends, Michigan Venture Capitalists and former Gateway employees, knew who the heck Rick Snyder was. His FIRST campaign commercial was aired during the Super Bowl in 2/10.
The Marketing campaign point 1-&quot;Got three degrees from the UofM by the time he was 23&quot;. Marketing point-2 &quot;My job is to create jobs&quot;.
I wonder why Michigan's Unemployment Rate has risen, since he was elected...
Heck, I was almost fooled for voting for him. That is until I remembered what happened with employees of Canton, Michigan former Gateway Retail Store on Ford Road/Canton Center.
Those hard working retail employees, while Rick Snyder was C.E.O., were greeted on their way to work...with a locked door and a sign stating where to call for their last paycheck. TRUE STORY!
I have wondered since remembering this...what happened to that story? It was aired on Channel 7 news in 2002/2003. Where is the file footage? This would be a great story for the media to look into. Too bad it was buried during the Governor's campaign. Money talks, I guess.
From there, Snyder did a one hour debate with his challenger, full of talking points and void of facts. From there..Governor...that is not fully vetted in the least.
Let's tell the truth and be fair Macabre!

Macabre Sunset

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 8:03 p.m.

Couldn't you say the same about our president, only from the radical left wing?

Michigan Man

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 7:26 p.m.

I attended the Townie Party on Monday (7/18/2011) and this petition was being circulated at that event. Pretty much the entire Townie crowd completely ignored those who were passing around this document. I think they then gave up their foolishness and decided to have a beer or two with the more informed Townie crowd.

Steve Pepple

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 12:57 p.m.

A comment containing name-calling and a reply to it have been removed.

Michigan Man

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 2:30 a.m.

Blue: No thanks to the Government job - do not like working for the MAN - 60+ have not done it yet so why start now - you seem to be more the type to depend on Government and pension system because you probably have no other resources?

ViSHa

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 11:49 p.m.

~It's sad that some people are so high and mighty that they consider other people fools and less informed because of their political views.~
Wow. This statement sure cuts both ways in Ann Arbor.

Mr Blue

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 10:23 p.m.

It's sad that some people are so high and mighty that they consider other people fools and less informed because of their political views.
Can someone find Mr Hankamp a nice government job with a pension and health care?

Thick Candy Shell

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 9:50 p.m.

I know I have signed at least 20 different petitions. This will add 9 more to my total!

Monica R-W

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 9:37 p.m.

Stephen....
This is from the article...
&quot;A steady stream of people visited the booth set up on Liberty Street between Fifth Avenue and Division Street.&quot;
So, if the Townie Event was not successful, I am sure with the &quot;steady stream&quot; of people at the Art Fair over the next four days...the recall volunteers will more than make up for what was missed on 7/18.

Mr Blue

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 8:01 p.m.

Most of the folks at the Townie Party already signed the petition and didn't need to sign it again.

Macabre Sunset

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 6:52 p.m.

Will there be people collecting signatures in the A2.com office as well?
Hard to justify all the attention you've given this effort otherwise. It's just a fact in modern politics that the losers will try to recall the winners. Especially in states with liberal recall laws.
It is funny seeing the unholy alliance of idealistic university children and the massive corporate entity known as the MEA.

Maxwell

Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 1:51 a.m.

I guess hardcore lefties aren't what they used to be...

Macabre Sunset

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 10:26 p.m.

From an editorial perspective. But their reporters are hard-core lefties.

julieswhimsies

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 9:23 p.m.

A2.com supported Snyder as a candidate.

David Briegel

Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 8:57 p.m.

You obviously have missed the simple fact that A2.com is really
SlickRick.com.